Molded pulp article



Oct 10, 1933.

M. P. CHAPLIN MOLDED PULP ARTICLE Filed Aug. 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Merle RCh/a lin.

IN VENTOR firToR/vE Y.

M. P. CHAPLIN Oct. 10, 1933.

MOLDED PULP ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1930 .Lr I. I

.HTTOR/VEY.

- Patented Oct. 10, 1933 1,929,944 v a MOLDED PULP ARTICLE Merle P. Chaplin,

Water-ville, Maine,

auimor,

by mesne assignments, to Fidelity Trust Company, trustee, Portland, Maine,

of Maine a corporation Application August 19, 1930. Serial No. 476.3% 14 Claims. (Cl. 217-265) This invention relates to the packing of fragile articles of variable size and of generally ovate shape. 7

For purposes of illustration eggs may be taken as a characteristic example, but it will be understood that such treatment is in no way limiting since the principles ofmy invention apply to the packaging of a wide variety of articles such as incandescent bulbs, radio tubes, and the like.

Eggs are usually shipped and stored in cases or crates each containing thirty dozen eggs. These cases are divided vertically into two sections and each section accommodates five layers or tiers of eggs with three dozen eggs in each layer.

Inthe shipment and handling of eggs it is very necessary that the eggs be firmly retained against vibration or looseness in the carrier in which they are packed. This not only serves to better preserve the eggs in shipment or storage but also greatly reduces the breakage of eggs while handling case or crate in which they are packed.

Eggs vary both in diameter and in length. In order to hold the smaller diameter eggs against motion it is necessary that the recesses in which these eggs be lodged be small enough to accomplish this result. When eggs of larger diameter are packed it is desirable that such recesses expand or be resilient to accommodate the larger size of eggs. Moreover, when packing extra long 39 eggs it is important that the carrier containing these accommodate itself to any reasonable length of egg which may be packed.

It has heretofore been necessary in the packing of eggs in cases where several tiers are superimposed one on the other to provide an egg pocket cavity large enough for the largest egg to be packed. Each individual cavity has heretofore been made either of a tapering or semispherical member in which the egg was placed or else the 40 egg cavity has been defined by a sheet of fiat material, or of flat material in which shallow cups are formed and on which is placed board divisions sufiiciently far apart to accommodate the largest diameter of the egg and of sufficient height to accommodate the longest length of egg. This defines rectangular chambers in which the egg is loosely retained. On top of these board divisions is placed a second fiat or cup member for a second tier or layer of eggs.

Another method sometimes employed is to have a fiat sheet in which cup-like depressions have been formed, this sheet being supported at its edges by the case or crate in which it is placed. In this caseit is also necessary to provide in the depressions and in the spaces between successive sheets space for the largest egg which it is necessary to pack. I

Attempts have been made to provide a staggered egg pack in which the eggs do not register in ver- Q tical rows. Such an arrangement is wasteful no or" space in the crate or case and usually provides packing for diiferent quantities oi! eggs in diilerent layers which is also objectionable.

Some of the carriers heretofore designed provide for supporting successive carriers by means of projections either directly on the bottom of the egg pockets or cavities or else closely adjacent thereto. Such a construction requires a stifi rigid pocket cavity wall in order to accommodate the necessary load and also very largely prevents g suiTcient resiliency or flexibility of pocket to firmly hold eggs of varying size; I

Some of the prior designs show arrangements of cushions, rings, flaps or other members intended to cushion smaller eggs in a large size pocket. 35 These devices tend to concentrate pressure on the small end of the egg, thus contributing to breakage, and fail in the desired object to firmly grip each individual egg or other article over a considerable portion of its area.

It is the purpose of the present invention to very largely eliminate these objections and to provide a carrier for eggs or other similar fragile articles of varying sizes which will firmly retain each individual article in the pocket or cavity 35 provided and alsopermit of assembling a series of such carriers one above the other.

My invention contemplates an integral carrier or pair of carriers so constructed as to be re- 'siliently adaptable to fit eggs of different sizes. There is also provided integral with the carrier, supports which carry the weight of articles packed therein and also capable of carrying other packed carriers above thiscarrier.

The pocket or cavity in which the egg or other article is placed is small enough to properly grip each article and hold it firmly against lcoseness. The size of the pocket or cavity for this purpose is determined and fixed by spacing members between the'bottom and top sections of the carrier mm which define the smallest size of pocket necessary to accomplish the desired result.

When larger articles are placed in these pockets or cavities the design is such that the pocket can expand either laterally for an egg or similar lilli article of larger diameter than the original pocket size allowed and also can expand in the direction of depth or height to provide for a longer egg or other article.

Inasmuch as each individual pocket is pro- 1110 vided with resilient or expansible means independent of any other pocket small, medium or large size articles can be packed in adjacent pockets.

By a novel design of the pocket wall in com bination with the spacing members and supporting members flexibility or resiliency is provided for each individual pocket cavity so that they can individually accommodate themselves to larger eggs without interfering with adjacent pockets or the articles in these pockets. The supports for successive tiers or layers are spaced as widely as possible from the individual pockets, and exterior supports on each carrier section in combination with the spacing members inside each section provide adequate supports for the vertical loads encountered when several tiers or layers are placed one above the other. This is allaccomplished by the minimum number of partsv or assembly of parts as each half carrier is provided within itself as an integral part with the proper supports for itself or for other carriers to be placed upon it. It is also provided with integral spacing members to define the pocket spaces in each carrier and sustain the load of superimposed layers by the carrier structure independent of the articles in the carrier.

Illustration hereinafter described shows a carrier composed of two similar halves inverted upon each other. While this is desirable from an egg packing standpoint in that only one type of carrier is necessary for both bottom and top halves, still this construction is not to be considered limiting in any way as in the packing of other articles such as radio tubes, etc. the bottom halves of the carrier might be of suificient depth to contain the greater portion of the packed article, the upper simply serving as a cover. I It is understood that this invention is not limited as to the similarity of the upper and lower halves of the carrier. In such drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section through a pocket on line 1-1, Fig. 5 with eggs of smaller size.

Fig. 2 a similar section through a pocket expanded as indicated by the dotted line to accommodate an egg of larger diameter, but medium length.

Fig. 3 a similar view showing the pocket expanded to accommodate an egg of both largediameter and extra length. s

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section indicating two layer units and particularly illustrating the method of supporting such units in superimposed assembly without contact of ,the end wall s of the pocket cavities on each other.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a packing unit consisting of a pair of complemental pocket forming members reversed and assembled one upon another, the uppermost member being broken away to expose a part of the lower member, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional perspective on approximately the line 22, of Fig- 1.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I have illustrated the automatic expanding action of my carrier pockets for the three service conditions most frequently encountered, viz, an article of smaller size, Fig. 1; an article which is larger as to diameter, Fig. 2; or as to both diameter and length, Fig. 3.

The normal pocket size, Fig. 1, is purposely made to correspond to an article A of smaller size. Such'article is cradled without looseness in the pocket without any appreciable expansion of the pocket either longitudinally or laterally. For

purposes of explanation the comparison line a has been applied to Fig. 1 to indicate the effective normal or unexpanded longitudinal dimension of the pocket wall.

When an article B which is larger as to diameter as compared with article A is inserted in a pocket Fig. 2, the pocket expands laterally, as indicated in dotted lines to accommodate such article. This involves a slight contraction of the inner end of the supporting member 7 adjacent the pocket, as indicated at b in Fig. 2, resulting in a corresponding increase in the size of the pocket to accommodate itself to the contour of the article B.

When an article C which is larger both as to diameter and length, as compared with articles A and B, is inserted into a pocket Fig. 3, the expanding action is both laterally and longitudinally, the lateral expansion being indicated ate, and the longitudinal expansion at 0 This illustrates the dual function of the member 7 first as a supporting member which will be more completely explained hereinafter, and second, as a yielding member at its inner end to afford both lateral and longitudinal pocket expansion. In case of lateral pocket expansion the inner end of the member '1 yields laterally to provide for expansion of the pocket as indicated in Fig. 2. To provide for increased depth the fold is moved outwardly as indicated at c and c providing for longitudinal pocket expansion. It will be noted that the distance 0 Fig. 3 is greater than the distance a Fig. 1, this being due to the larger egg inserted in the pocket at Fig. 3.

The characteristic pocket above described is embodied in a carrier consisting of a pair of sheetlike packing members adapted to be reversed and assembled upon one another as shown in Fig. 5, and when so assembled providing a carrier unit within which the eggs or other articles are adapted to be packed. This packing is illustrative of eggs which are packed vertically.

The upper member of such unit is indicated at 1 and the lower member at 2 and these members together constitute a packing unit adapted to contain a layer or tier of eggs or other articles and themselves adapted tobe superposed upon other similar layers within any usual packing case or crate.

The members 1 and 2 are preferably duplicates as previously suggested. Preferably each member is formed of molded pulp or other fibre stock and is of substantially uniform thickness throughout. Each member is molded or formed to a contour providing for the packing cavities or pockets, supporting members, spacing members, etc. as hereinafter described, all being produced as an integral unit.

v The packing pockets are indicated at 3 in the drawings, and considering the packing unit as it appears in Fig. 6, the cavities 3 of the upper member 1 project above the plane of themember 1 and those of the member 2 are disposed below the general plane of such member. Together the registering cavities 3 define a series of enclosing compartments or pockets within which the eggs or other articles indicated A-C are received in endwise disposition, these pockets corresponding in general size, depth and contour to the size, depth and contour of the smaller size egg to be packed.

The protuberances 5 and 6 are in the nature of flat top formations with tapered concaved sides and have capacity for yielding as will be explained hereinafter. Certain of the protuberances are extended beyond the planes of the other protuberances in any sheet and have closed ends which constitute spacing members. These are indicated at 5 and in this particular design there are nine such protuberancea distributed over the inside of the carrier.

The protuberances 5 are shown in form as tapered projection the flexible sides 01' which in part define pocket spaces and the flat tops of which aflord bearing surfaeeswhich make of the projections coacting spacing members between two halves 0! carrier units.

When a pair of members 1 and 2 are reversed upon each other as shown in Fig. 6, the flat closed outer ends of the protuberances 5 abut each other and function as load sustaining columns. These columns serve to define the minimum space between carrier halves and to prevent undue loads being placed on the eggs in each carrier unit due to loads placed on carrier unit.

The other protuberances which have been indicated by the numeral 6 are shorter than the protuberances 5 which members 5 are so arranged as to permit ample opportunity for access to the pockets 3 either for the purpose of inserting or removing eggs and hence to insert or remove several eggs at a time without interference i'rom the higher protuherances 5.

The sorter protuberances 6 are so constructed as to provide crater-like depressions 7 centrally of the protuberance formations. These craterlilse depressions or certain of them extend below the general plane of the pocket bottoms, considering the lower member 2 in the assembly of Fig. 6. Preferably, although not necessarily, the 1101-- low projections 7 are of tapered form terminatin fiat closed outer ends. These constitute supporting surfaces for each carrier and also for supporting other carries above as mdicatecl in 3.

Due to the hollow formations of the protuhershoes 5 and d and particularly in the case of the crater-like formations of the elements ii the egg pockets have capacity for expansion radially or laterally in order to take care of eggs of un usually large diameter. In such action the introduction or" a larger size egg or the like enclwise into the pocket cavity causes the flexible walls thereof, afiorded by the elements 5 and 6 and I particularly by the element 6 to yield to receive the large size egg and by their own inherent resiliency frictionally, grip and support the egg, as has already been explained in connection with the discussion of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. v I

In order to strengthen and stiffen the sheetlilze members i and 2 in Zooth transverse directions, two series of interrupted grooves are provided in the structure which on the outer faces of said members extend as ribs 8 and 9, respectively. These rilcs may he of any desired cross section and depth, but as here shown do not extend heyond the plane of the closed ends 01 the cavities 3, into which they merge and hence do not contact with the registering rib series of members in layer units above or below.

The integral shape of the pocket cavity is gen= orally conical, any variation in diameters of the eggs being packed being taken care oil by the flexible wall formations of the pockets as ex plained hereinbeiore, so that the eggs are cradled between the protuberances or spacers without the necessity for providing the pockets interiorly with any definite cushioning or supporting elements, as for example, an internal ring or flap series.

The present invention thus takes care of variations both as to diameter and as to length of the articles being packed. The design 01' the side walls of the egg cavities enables such cavities headily to expand laterally when eggs or unusually large diameter are introduced endwise thereinto. It will be noted as animportant feature of the invention that as largerand heavier eggs areintroduced in pockets there is an increasing area of supporting surface of the resilient cavity wall which in case of the larger eggs grips firmly the entire end surface or portion oi the egg extending approximately half the distance toward the middle 0! the egg as. at B and C in Figs. 2 and 3.

While I have referred particularly to the endwise packing of eggs in crates it will be understood that the principles herein set forth might be embodied in smaller types of carriers such as grocers packs or cartons which usually hold one dozen eggs and in certain types could be made to carry the eggs packed on their sides.

1 The shape of the spacers or protuberances may be varied and the construction of their interior relief varied as to the shape of the crater or thimble and its depth.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1, An egg carrier member adapted for opposed assembly comprising a relatively thin wall molded fibre section adapted to support the ends of a.

plurality of eggs in vertical position, said section including spaced pockets and inter-pocket spacing convexities including those having end abut= ting portions, the" concavities and convexities having a non-crushing resistant deformability yieldable to the pressure of larger dimensioned eggs whereby said walls are individually resistantly deformable to accommodate individual eggs in superimposed layers.

2. in a device of the class described, ,comple mental members having pocket forming cavities adapted to registercwith each other when the members are reversed and assembled one upon the other, and to define article receiving pockets, formations extending from the plane of each member, certain of formations extending beyond the plane of the other formations of a member and said longer formations adapted to abut the similar longer extensions of an opposite member and to constitute shock-absorbing columns disposed generally transverse to the planes of the pair of members, and the shorter formations of one member having portions which extend in opposite directions to the shock-absorbing formstions of said member and adapted to abut similar portions shorter formations of an opposite member whereby to space the ends of opposing pocket cavitiesfirom each other, the sets of long formations oi one member being relatively staggored to the portions .of the shorterpforniations of said member which extend in opposite direction whereby to permit pocket flexibility in an endwise direction ioraccommodating articles of varying length.

3. An egg carrier member having receiving concavities adapted to be assembled in "reversed pairs, the concavities being spaced by intervening projections some having abutments for spaclug pocket pairs and others having reversed ahutments for inter-layer support, the inter-layer pairs of carrier members are assembled upon each other extra-laminal sustaining elements adapted exteriorly to space one pair of carrier members from the pairs next above and below.

5. An article carrier comprising a pair of contoured layers of pulp adapted to be reversed and assembled on planes of face contact, and each having a plurality of spaced depressed portions constituting receiving pockets and each member having elevated formations intermediate of the pockets constituting when said pair of members are reversed and assembled upon each other intra-laminal sustaining elements adapted to interiorly space said members from each other and each member having a plurality of formations extending in opposite direction to said elevated formations and constituting when a plurality of pairs of carrier members are assembled upon each other extra-laminal sustaining elements adapted exteriorly to space one pair of carrier members from the pairs next above and below, the intra-laminal formations being staggered with reference to the extra-laminal formations.

6. An article carrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein said intra-laminal sustaining elements constitute part of the walls of said receiving pockets and are resistantly yieldable to the pocket expanding pressure of larger dimensioned articles inserted in said pockets.

7. An article carrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein said extra-laminal sustaining elements constitute part of the walls of said receiving pockets and are resistantly yieldable to the pocket expanding pressure of larger dimensioned articles inserted in said pockets.

8. An article carrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein both said intra-laminal and said extralaminal sustaining elements constitute parts of the wall of said receiving pockets and are resistantly yieldable to the pocket expanding pressure of larger dimensioned articles inserted in said pockets.

9. An article carrier, comprising a sheet of fibrous material having a plurality of spaced pocket-forming depressions therein, a set of spacers extending upwardly from the sheet and spacing certain of said pocket-forming depressions from each other, and a set of spacers extending downwardly from the sheet and spacing certain other of said depressions from each other, the spacers constituting said sets of spacers being relatively staggered as to each other whereby when said carrier is disposed in layer assembly with duplicate carriers the upwardly extending spacers serve as intra-laminal load sustaining elements and the downwardly-extending spacers serve as extra-laminal load sustaining elements and the pocket-forming depressions in any layer are prevented from com'ng in end-to-end abutment with those in any other layer.

10. An article carrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the spacers of both sets form in part the walls of said depressions and have a non-crushing resistant deformability yleldable to the pressure of larger dimensioned articles inserted in said pocket depressions whereby said pockets are individually res'stantly deformable to accommodate articles of varying size.

11. An article carrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pocket forming depressions are connected by hollow ribs of a depth less than the depth of sad depressions.

12. An article carrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the downwardly extending spacers are hollow and terminate in relatively flat closed bearing portions disposed no closer to the plane fibrous material having ,a plurality of spaced pocket forming depressions therein certain of said depressions being spaced from each other by spacers which extend in the same direction as said depressions and constitute exteriorly of the sheet load sustaining elements for external bearing on the al'gned similar spacers of a complemental article carrier and the depressions of said sheet not so spaced by said first named spacers being spaced by other spacers which extend in the opposite direction to said depressions and constitute internally of the sheet load sustaining elements independent of and staggered with reference to said first named spacers for intra-laminally supporting a complemental article carrier.

MERLE P. CHAPLIN. 

